Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-05-15

within forty yards of him. S%pringing to
the ground, he fired both barrels OF his
express" at them as they tore past-alas
and alasl without touching them Inc
first bullet struck under their bellies, the
second must have shaved their backs. Re
loading rapidly, he fired again at ABOUT
two hundred yards range, and this time
one fell TO his second barrel. Buthe knew
that it was a chance shot; be had Tired at
the last buck, but he had killed one ten
PAGES in front of him. b fact OK the
matter is that this sort of shooting l ex-
ceedingly difficult till one knows how TO
do it. The inexperienced hand firing
across a line of buck will not generally
kill one shot in twenty, as an lnfinltesinlal
difference in elevation, or the slightest
error in Judging distance-in itself q most
difficult art on those great plains-wlll
make the difference. A BOer almost In
variably gets Immediately behind a herd OF
running buck, and fires at one about half
way down the line. Consequently, II his
elevation is a little wrong, or If he has mis-
Judged his sighting, the odds are that he
will hit one either in front of or behind the
particular animal fired at. All that Is
necessary is that the line OF hire should De
good. This John soon learned, and when
he had mastered the fact he became as good
a game shot as the majority of Beers, but
today being his first, he did not, much TO
his yexation, particularly distinguish him
self, the result of which was that his
friends the Dutchmen went away firmly
convinced that the English rooibaatJe shot
rs indifferently as he lied.
Jumping into the cart again, and leaving
the dead blesbuck to look after itself for
the present-nOt q very safe thing to do In
q country where there arr so many vultures
john, or rather Jantie, put the horses
into a gallop, and away they went at full
tear. 1t was a most exciting mode of pro-
gression. humping along furiously with n
loaded rifle in his hands over a plain on
which antheaps rs large as an armchair
were scattered like burned almonds on q
cake. Then there were the antbear holes
to reckon with, and the little swamps in
the hollows, and other agreeable surprises.
But the rush and eXhilaratiOn of the thing
WAS too great to allow him much time to
think Of his neck, so away they flew,
sticking on to the cart as best they could,
and trusting to Providence to save them
from a complete smash-up. Now they
were bounding over an antheap, now II
! ofthe horses was on his nose, but somehow
they always escaped the last dire disaster,
thanks chiefly TO the little HOttentOt's
skilful driving. Every few minutes or so
they would pull up whenever the game
was within range, and John would spring
from the cart and let drive. and then Jump
in and follow on again. This went on for
nearly an hour, in which time he had fired
twent v-seven cartridges and killed three
blesbuck and wounded n Y~ilderbeeste,
which they proceeded to chase. But the
yilderbeeste, was struck in the rump, and
a buck so wounded will 60 long way, and
20 very fast also, and some miles Of ground
had been got over before he began TO rest,
only starting on again as they drew near.
At last, on crossing the crest OF n little
rise, John saw what at first he took to be
his vllderbeeste dead. A second look,
however, showed him that, although 1t
was a dead vilderbeeste, it most I'M
doubtedly was not the one that he had
wounded, for that was standing, its head
hanging down, about one hundred and
twenty yards beyond the other animal,
which had, no doubt, fallen to somebody
] else : lllt, OF GtSt btCu "bNluIh leu wv
back and come here to die. Now the
vilderbeeSte lay within a hundred yards OF
them, and Jamie pointed out to John that
his hest plan would be 10 get out OF the
cart and creep on his hands and knees up
to the dead animal, from the cover ofwhich
he would yet q good shot at his Onw
wounded bull.
Accordingly, Jantie having withdrawn
with the cart and horses out of sight under
the shelter of the rise, John crOuched upon
his hands and knees and proceeded to carry
out his stalk. lie got on all right till he
was uuite close to the dead COW, and was
lust cOngratulating himself on the prospect
of IN excellent shot ut the wounded bull,
when suddenly something struck the
ground violently Just beneath his stomach,
throwing up a cloud OF earth and dust.
lie stopped amazed, and as he did so heard
the report OF Il rifle somewhat to his right.
1t was n rifle bullet that had passed be-
meath him. Scarcely had he realized this
when there was a sudden cOmmOtiOn in his
hair, and the soft black felt hat that he
WAS wearing started from his head, APP
parently OF it's own accord, and, after
twirling round twice or thrice in the air,
fell gently to the earth, and rs it did so the
sound of a second report reached his ears.
1t YVES nOw evident that somebody was
firing ut him; so, jumping up from his
crouching h%osition, he tossed his arms into
the air and sprang and shouted in a way
that lelt no mistake us to his whereabouts.
In another minute he saw a man on horse
back, cantering easily towards him, in
whom he had little difficulty in recognize
ing Frank Muller. He went and picked
up his hat; there was a bullet-hOle right
through it. Then, full Of wrath, he ad
vanceG to meet Frank Muller.